Taken at 600mm
An afternoon of Grand daughter duties them some free time by 1530 hrs.
With the sun shining I took a chance on a long shot that the Whimbrel would have stayed put at Leeshaw and if it was still in this mornings field the sun would now be behind me instead of behind the bird as it was this morning. Remembering the god of birding photography Arthur Morris.s number one rule, aim your shadow at the bird, meaning you need to be between the sun and the bird for a decent shot unlike this morning when the bird was between me and the sun.
On arrival conditions were near perfect but no sign of the subject. After 15 minutes scanning and about to give up the Whimbrel popped its head up from being crouched in the grass and began feeding again although once again at long distance.
Tackle quickly set up and just time for a few shots before it disappeared into a hollow in the field so I walked the dogs on passed the reservoir to give it chance to re appear. Herring gulls and Black Headeds were still moving through >W whilst there were now
3 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Ringed Plover and 4 Common Sandpipers present on the distant far shore.
I also got my first Sand Martin of the year over the water.
Back at the Whimbrel field the bird was showing and nearby was a Curlew feeding and walking towards the Whimbrel. I waited with baited breath thinking this will be too good to be true if I can get them in one frame but after waiting what seemed to be eternity a chance in a million happened and the 2 birds walked right past each other whilst
Big Bertha rattled the photos off. What a great bird to turn up just 15 minutes from home.
The luck even continued as I drove home on the outskirts of Oxenhope when a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew right across the front of the car heading towards Paul Clough.
BS